Odisha has announced a new scholarship scheme for overseas study called Videsh Siksha Bruti for SC/ST students wishing to earn postgraduate or doctorate degrees from premier/university-level educational institutes located outside India.
Suryabansi Suraj, Odisha's Higher Education Minister, launched the scheme on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, and confirmed it would take effect for all applicants beginning with the first semester/term of the 2025–2026 academic year. The Videsh Siksha Bruti scholarship scheme will help students from poor and underprivileged backgrounds achieve their dream of receiving an overseas education at a university or institute of higher education.
Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme 2026 Eligibility
Under this programme, as announced by Suryabansi Suraj, students belonging to SC/ST categories and whose families have an annual income of INR 12 Lakhs or less can apply to be considered for the Videsh Siksha Bruti scholarship. Applicants must have received an admission letter to a postgraduate or doctoral programme at one of the universities that are listed as top 200 in QS World University Rankings. The application process will be conducted in two cycles per year: the July/August cycle and the December/January cycle; fifty students will be awarded scholarships annually across three categories of higher education streams.
Benefits of the Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme 2026
Each chosen student will receive up to INR 25 lakh per year to cover tuition, living expenses, and other academic costs during their international studies. Of the 50 scholarships, 10 spots (four PG and six PhD) will be reserved for engineering and technical fields, another 10 (four PG and six PhD) for medical, agriculture, architecture, and related technical areas, and 30 (10 PG and 20 PhD) for general higher education disciplines.
Videsh Siksha Bruti Scheme 2026: Additional Announcements
Alongside the scholarship launch, appointment letters were distributed to 34 candidates recruited for Group C and D positions in aided colleges under rehabilitation assistance. The minister further said that the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) is now officially authorised by the copyright office to conduct Academic Performance Audits (APA) of higher education institutions, thus Odisha becomes the first state in India to have such a unique academic evaluation system.
Suraj highlighted that the academic audit will open up academic accountability, and the standard of higher education will be qualitatively uplifted in the state. The scheme is a step towards equal participation of the most deserving students from the disadvantaged classes in Odisha in global standard education.
